Making it Happen: 2025 Honda Ridgeline Buyer’s Guide
Have you wanted a truck for years? Have you been putting it off because it has just never seemed like a good time? Well, it is a good time. If your suburban lifestyle has you questioning how you’d make a truck work, where you’d store it, and so on, Honda has an answer. Your vision may be a giant work truck that, while exciting, would quickly prove cumbersome and make it a hassle even to use the vehicle. But, if you pop into Rusty Wallace Honda, your Honda dealer near Farragut, you may just find the perfect solution for a suburbanite looking to venture into the pickup truck lifestyle.
Suburban families are probably already familiar with the Honda lineup through passenger vehicles like the Civic, Odyssey, and CR-V. Even if you’re already familiar with some of these vehicles, you may have never considered the Honda Ridgeline. As a midsize truck that goes beyond midsize value, the Ridgeline is a perfect fit for those looking to have a truck for household DIY projects, passion projects, and recreation while still having practical day-to-day functionality for commuting, family life, and all the rest. It’s time to check out the 2025 Ridgeline, so let’s take a look at how the Ridgeline can increase your projects and fun alike by looking at two key aspects of the truck: engineering and cargo hauling.
Engineering
Whether you’re seeking a truck for professional use or simply looking for something to make your home projects easier, the first thing you want to look at in a truck is always performance. Aside from the obvious design differences, performance capability is, in many ways, what separates trucks from cars. Now, if you’re not necessarily a self-proclaimed truck buff, you may not know how to understand performance features and what they will look like in practice. We’ll help you break it down and show you how the Ridgeline provides the versatility you need.
The 2025 Ridgeline comes standard with a capable and dependable V6 engine. The “V” design allows the engine to deliver great performance while still being efficient and compact, making the truck less cumbersome. The Ridgeline’s V6 engine is capable of delivering 280 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. Now, if your first thought is that 280 horsepower isn’t among the legendary specs you’ve heard of from other vehicles, consider the fact that most people never actually use the maximum amount of horsepower their truck can offer. If you’re going to be doing serious desert off-roading or hauling intense loads, then maybe you’d need to consider something bigger. But, if you’re living in the Farragut area and are looking for a good, practical truck for weekend projects, then those specs will be plenty sufficient.
On the practical level, the V6 engine gives the 2025 Ridgeline an EPA-estimated fuel efficiency of 18 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway.[a] While that may not seem impressively high compared to some other vehicles on the market, it is important to understand that number is actually quite impressive as far as trucks go. Due to the power and shape of trucks, many pickups have fuel efficiency ratings that top off at well under 20 MPG. Getting 24 MPG on the highway is an incredible spec for a truck.
All performance capability begins with the engine, and the Ridgeline is well-equipped with a standard engine that will absolutely suit the needs of families in suburban areas like Farragut. But, for this kind of trucking, horsepower and torque are not as relevant as payload, towing, and more practical capabilities. So, let’s look at those details next to see where the Ridgeline really excels.
Cargo Hauling
If you regularly find yourself in need of a cargo-hauling vehicle, there’s no question that a truck is the way to go. Sure, you can haul some stuff in an SUV, but there are strict height limitations, and you have to sacrifice seating in order to optimize storage space. A truck maintains the same amount of storage space and seating at all times without requiring you to sacrifice one for the other and offers the additional benefit of strong towing capability. While some SUVs on the market might have limited towing capability, trucks are specifically designed for such tasks, and therefore, you’ll want to understand just what the Ridgeline can do.
The 2025 Ridgeline is able to tow up to 5,000 pounds. You can thank the V6 engine for that as well. Unless your DIY projects regularly require objects or cargo loads greater than 5,000 pounds, you will be more than set with the 2025 Ridgeline. Just consider for a moment how hefty of a trailer you would need to haul to exceed 5,000 lbs. If you own a ranch or are a contractor handling major construction projects, then you may need more towing capacity, but for most domestic projects you’ll be taking up, chances are you won’t even come near that. Considering that most family-owned boats, for example, weigh somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds, having 5,000 pounds of towing capacity should be sufficient.
The Ridgeline’s truck bed is also well-proportioned, with a cargo volume of 33.9 cubic feet and a total payload capacity of up to 1,583 pounds. While those numbers may be hard to visualize, the Ridgeline’s bed feels nice and large without feeling too big; you won’t feel overwhelmed by it, but you also won’t find yourself feeling like there’s not enough space. With a truck bed length of 64 inches (80 inches with the tailgate down) and a truck bed width of 60 inches wall to wall, the Ridgeline is the perfect size for somebody who wants ample storage space while still being able to fit the truck within a standard domestic garage. However, the coolest feature of the Ridgeline is that it includes a 7.3 cubic foot trunk under the bed for even more secure storage space.
Whether you’re seeking a truck for projects, recreation, or both, towing and payload capacity are going to be some of the main factors you want to look at. Some drivers might be hauling wood for the workshop, and others may be hauling a camper to the campsite; however you’re using the truck, the Ridgeline provides the perfect amount of capability to cover all the bases while still remaining reasonable for your Monday to Friday lifestyle which may not include such ventures. The Ridgeline works well as a domestic vehicle and a purpose-driven truck.
Making it Work
If you’ve been curious to take the step up to a truck, there’s no time like the present. If you’ve been thinking that a truck will end up being too much vehicle for you, the Ridgeline proves that you don’t have to go for a full-size pickup to have a great-looking truck that suits your needs and makes both work projects and recreational outings more doable. The Ridgeline’s midsize body makes it a good fit for suburban life, allowing it to be parked on the street, in driveways, and in garages. But it also delivers everything you need for basic home projects and weekend getaways far from Farragut. The Ridgeline is perfectly balanced, offering everything you need without unnecessary features that would make it burdensome for domestic life. As we said, there’s no time like the present, so strike on the 2025 Ridgeline while the iron is hot.
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